Open Outbreak

Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus

Also known as: Filoviruses, Filoviridae, Ebola virus disease (EVD), Marburg virus disease (MVD)

Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus are part of the filovirus family. They can cause severe viral haemorrhagic fever in people and other primates. The retrieved sources describe spread mainly through direct contact with an infected person’s body fluids or with contaminated objects, often after an outbreak begins with a spillover from animals. Ebola virus disease is described in a 2020 review as severe and frequently lethal. WHO outbreak reports describe Marburg virus disease as epidemic-prone and associated with high case fatality ratios, with a reported range of 24% to 88% across outbreaks. Evidence in the sources retrieved points to bats as an important reservoir, and WHO reports use a 21-day follow-up period for contacts. Recent WHO notices show that filovirus outbreaks are still occurring in Africa, including Marburg in Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, and Ebola caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Supportive care and strong infection prevention are central. Vaccine and treatment availability differ by virus, and the retrieved sources do not provide one simple status that covers all filoviruses.

Key facts

TransmissionDirect contact with infected body fluids or contaminated objects; outbreaks often begin with zoonotic spillover. Healthcare-associated spread is a recurring risk.
IncubationWHO outbreak guidance for Marburg uses 21 days for contact follow-up; the exact combined incubation range for all filoviruses was not stated clearly in the retrieved sources.
Case fatalityMarburg virus disease: 24% to 88% across outbreaks according to WHO. Ebola virus disease: high, but an exact overall percentage was not stated in the retrieved sources.
Reproduction numberunknown
VaccineStatus differs by virus. WHO Marburg reports refer to vaccine research during outbreaks; the retrieved sources do not provide a single vaccine summary covering all filoviruses.
TreatmentPrimarily supportive care according to the retrieved review and WHO outbreak reports; the retrieved sources do not provide one treatment summary that applies to every filovirus.
ReservoirLikely bats; the retrieved sources identify bats as important reservoir hosts and describe zoonotic spillover.
Endemic regionsMainly Africa for human disease in the retrieved sources, especially central and eastern Africa; one retrieved Ebola review notes Reston virus in the Philippines without human disease.

Transmission

The main route of spread described in the retrieved sources is direct contact. A 2020 review says Ebola outbreaks usually begin with a probable animal-to-human spillover, then continue through human-to-human transmission by direct contact with infected body fluids or with contaminated objects. WHO outbreak reports on Marburg also stress healthcare-associated spread, unsafe care, and unsafe burials as important risks. That means families, carers, and health workers can be exposed if infection prevention is weak. The wider filovirus family is linked to bats in the sources retrieved, which fits the idea that some outbreaks start from an animal source before spreading between people. The sources retrieved here do not support airborne spread as the main route in ordinary community settings. In plain terms: close, unprotected contact is the key concern, especially during care, after death, and in clinics without strong infection control.

Symptoms and severity

The illnesses caused by these viruses can be very serious. The retrieved Ebola review describes Ebola virus disease as severe and frequently lethal, with fever, stomach and bowel symptoms, and failure of several organs in the worst cases. WHO says Marburg virus disease is hard to tell apart early on from other infections such as malaria or typhoid, which can delay recognition. For severity, the strongest numeric range in the retrieved sources is for Marburg: WHO outbreak reports state that Marburg virus disease has been associated with case fatality ratios of 24% to 88% across outbreaks. Recent outbreaks have varied a lot. In Rwanda in 2024, WHO reported 66 confirmed Marburg cases and 15 deaths, about 23%. In Tanzania in 2025, WHO reported 10 cases and 10 deaths. For Ebola as a whole, the retrieved sources confirm high fatality, but they do not give one single overall percentage that fairly covers every virus and outbreak.

Treatment and vaccines

The clearest message in the retrieved sources is that supportive care and infection control matter a great deal. People with suspected or confirmed filovirus disease need rapid diagnosis, isolation, careful nursing, fluids, and treatment of complications. WHO outbreak reports repeatedly describe case management, contact tracing, and infection prevention and control as central parts of the response. Vaccine and treatment status is not the same for every filovirus, so it is easy to overstate certainty. In the sources retrieved here, WHO’s Marburg reports mention vaccine research support during outbreaks, which shows that vaccine development is active, but those reports do not present a licensed, widely available Marburg vaccine. The retrieved Ebola review is broader, but the abstract shown here does not provide enough product detail to give a precise public summary without risking overclaiming. The safe bottom line is that response depends on fast public-health action, good clinical care, and virus-specific tools where available.

Where it occurs

In the retrieved sources, human filovirus outbreaks are mainly described in Africa. A 2011 Ebola review says Ebola viruses are endemic in regions of central Africa, and notes that Reston Ebola virus is found in the Philippines and has not been associated with human disease. Recent WHO reports place Marburg outbreaks in Rwanda in 2024, Tanzania in 2025, and Ethiopia in 2025 to 2026. WHO also reported a large 2026 outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with linked spread into Uganda and medically evacuated cases detected in Europe. This pattern matters for the public: these diseases are not everywhere all the time, but they can appear in new districts and cross borders through travel or patient transfer. The reservoir picture in the retrieved sources points to bats, so places where human contact with bat habitats occurs may remain at risk for spillover.

Recent history

This site’s archive count for the filoviruses key is 0, so there are no older archived events listed here even though WHO has published many outbreak notices. In the retrieved WHO Disease Outbreak News items, Marburg was reported in Rwanda in late 2024, then in the United Republic of Tanzania in early 2025, and in Ethiopia from late 2025 into January 2026, when WHO reported the outbreak had ended after 42 days without a new case. The most striking recent event in the retrieved sources is the 2026 Ebola disease outbreak caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with repeated WHO updates showing rapid geographic expansion and very high national risk assessments. WHO also reported linked cases in Uganda and imported cases to other countries through medical evacuation or return travel. Taken together, the retrieved record shows that filoviruses remain recurrent outbreak threats, especially when detection is delayed or infection control is strained.

What to watch

The main warning signs are the same ones WHO keeps highlighting in outbreak reports. First, watch for spread into new districts, provinces, or neighboring countries. WHO’s 2026 Bundibugyo notices show why this matters: widening geography makes contact tracing and safe care much harder. Second, watch for clear chains of human-to-human spread, especially in hospitals and during burials. Third, watch for unusually high death rates or many infections in health workers, which can signal delayed detection or weak infection control. Fourth, watch for changes in vaccine or treatment access. The retrieved Marburg reports mention vaccine research support, so shortages or lack of effective tools would be important if outbreaks grow. Fifth, watch for any evidence that a virus is appearing in places where it has not been seen before. For the public, the most concerning pattern is not a single case. It is undetected spread, repeated healthcare transmission, and cross-border movement before response teams can contain it.

Related outbreaks

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